ARQANA’S decision to condense the October Yearling Sale appears to have been justified, as the strong trade seen at Tuesday’s opener continued through subsequent sessions.
The new format and 18% drop in the number of yearlings offered makes comparisons difficult but the greater increase in median - by 30% to €30,000 - and improved clearance rate of 81% were positive, while the average grew by 11% to €47,059. The clearance rate improved most drastically at Tuesday’s opening session, where just six lots went unsold for six figures, compared to 17 last year.
Godolphin and Rabbah signed for four of the top five lots on the day, with Blue Point responsible for two of the highlights, led by Ecurie des Monceaux’s colt bought by Godolphin for €360,000.
Conceived when Blue Point commanded €60,000 at Kildangan Stud, the top lot is the first foal out of the Sea The Stars mare Ronea, a €135,000 buy from the Wertheimer family. His grandam The Juliet Rose won the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu twice.
Earlier that day, Godolphin gave €260,000 for a Sea The Stars colt from Haras d’Etreham, the fifth six-figure yearling out of the listed-winning Lord Of England mare Penny Lane and a half-brother to two group performers, including this year’s Group 2 Prix du Calvados winner Woot Woot.
Godolphin’s third and final purchase of the sale was a Muhaarar colt out of a full-sister to Recoletos, sold by Haras de Saint Isidro for €130,000.
Leading buyer
Rabbah Bloodstock were active at various levels over the first three days, signing for 15 yearlings totalling €1,839,000 and stated their intentions by giving €240,000 for the first lot into the ring.
The Blue Point colt from Ecurie des Monceaux held obvious appeal as the first foal out of the Group 3-winning Pivotal mare Fancy Me. Bred by Monceaux with C-Squared Investments, the bay hails from the family of Henri Matisse, Immortal Verse, Last Tycoon, Ten Bob Tony and Tenebrism.
Just two lots later, Rabbah gave €130,000 for a Gleneagles filly from Haras Le Thenney, before securing Lot 4 for €46,000 and increased their bid to €180,000 for a Havana Grey colt offered by the Fairway Consignment soon after.
A Muhaarar filly consigned by Jamie Railton became their sixth six-figure buy of the day at €200,000. Bred by Haras de Saint Julien out of the Galileo mare Watchful, the April-born bay is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Watch Me.
At €310,000, Rabbah’s most expensive purchase was a Night Of Thunder colt out of a half-sister to Aesop’s Fables, offered by the Channel Consignment. It marked a smart start for the Siyouni mare Amiravati, bought by breeders Haras de Trois Chapelles for 135,000gns.
“He’s a lovely horse, that looks like his sire,” James Tate commented. “He’s from an exceptional family and he was highly recommended. We can say a lot about him, but we are first of all very pleased to have bought him.”
Rabbah Bloodstock signed for the top lot on Wednesday, going to €190,000 for Haras du Hoguenet’s Sioux Nation filly out a listed-winning mare. Dubai-based businessman Neil Halliwell of Prime Equestrian and Haras du Mont Dit Mont underbid the session topper but gained some compensation when securing the highest-priced colt of the day, a son of Thunder Moon from Haras de Bourgeauville, for €150,000.
Helliwell finished second to Rabbah in the buyers’ table, spending a total of €1,728,000 on 31 yearlings, and finished some way clear of Meridian International’s outlay of €771,000.
Proven and promising sires
Haras du Bonneval resident Zarak sired three of the top 10 lots, led by a May-born filly from Haras de Clairefontaine. Chauvigny Global Equine’s Sébastien Desmontils was joined by David Salabi of Haras du Thenney when giving €240,000 for the half-sister to listed scorer Saidi El Fal. The chesnut holds plenty of residual value, with her dam being a half-sister to Silverwave and Stormy River.
The Zarak colt from Haras de Saint Isidro was an obvious choice for Matt Coleman and Amy Murphy, who gave €230,000 for the half-brother to Murphy’s John Smith Cup winner Pride Of America and group performer Miss Cantik.
It marked a fourth and final purchase of the day by the combination of Coleman and Murphy, who earlier gave €125,000 for a colt from the first crop of Modern Games. Haras de Beauvoir consigned the brother to three group performers, including the Group 2-placed Vertbois and Visinari.
The first lot into the ring by Modern Games, who debuted at £30,000, brought €75,000 from Meridian International, while the next was knocked down to Rabbah Bloodstock for €145,000. They produced the second-highest average for a first-crop sire, thought the highest was achieved by a single lot sold by Banstead Manor’s Chaldean. Neil Helliwell gave €140,000 for the La Motteraye Consignment’s offering.
Two yearlings from the first crop of Little Big Bear reached six figures, with Mandore International stretching to €200,000 for one of his colts at the opening session. Bred by Haras de Saint Vincent with Paul Derreumaux and SAS Mon Romain, the bay is out of a half-sister to the top-class Winter.
The following day, Paul Nataf gave €105,000 for a Coulonces-consigned Little Big Bear filly from the family of Fragrant Mix.
“She’s a lovely filly,” the agent commented. “She’s from a great family that has a lot of good horses in it. I think she’ll stay in training in France.”